Brits Open to Mobile Shopping

Michael Phillips

Posted on 5.21.2008

According to a survey of 998 Brits conducted by Lightspeed Research, 17% are willing to buy products on their mobile devices. Men more than women (22% and 12%, respectively) and - no surprise here - the most open to the idea are those aged 18-24 (29%), closely followed by those 25-34 (23%) with the least likely among those 55+ (7%). Also not surprisingly, most said they would buy from a well-known retailer (77%) while just 23% would buy from "Any company offering great prices."

Of the top products users would buy, two of the top three choices were film, theatre and event tickets and travel tickets. DVDs and CDs were at the top of the list and books and travel were also popular choices.

Two major takeaways here: First, mobile shoppers need to trust a brand before purchasing on the go. This means that if you're setting up a mobile commerce page, you need to make every effort to secure your brand with your audience. This means both on the mobile front, through your website, promotional efforts, even offline. Security is also a major factor and even in the limited space of a mobile screen, some mention of a secure site or even a security badge should be present.

Second, mobile shopping relies on relevance. While DVDs may not seem all that relevant, CDs can be considered an "on-the-go" item, especially if they are being purchased through a site like iTunes. Film, theatre and event tickets and travel absolutely fall into this category. A solid 48% of respondents said they would buy flowers - that could be the quick apology variety after a less-than-pleasant phone call or a last-minute effort on Mother's Day, for example. For website professionals considering mobile commerce, you must decide if it fits your audience and, if so, which of your products are most likely to be purchased on the go.